Apparatus for printing circular letters and the like



Aug 9, 1932. c. B, YODER ET AL FPARATUS FOR PRINTING CIRCULAR LETTERS AND THE LIKE Filed NOV. 2e 1928 SQ frm wvv MQ mxo. L

Patented Aug. 9, 1932 .Darren CHARLES B. YODER, OF WEBSTER- GROVES AND JOSEPH J. GAI-IN' AND CHARLES B.

WTLKES, JR., OF ST. LO`'IS, MISSOUR, ASSIGNORS TO YOGW PRESS, TNC., OF ST.

LOUIS, MISSOURT,

A CORPRATION OF MTSSOUR APPARATUS FOR PRINTING CIRCULAR LETTERS AND THE LTKE Application led November 2, 1928.

The object of this invention is to provide mechanism which will print such as a circular in separate colors, by circular letter machines, each machine printing a cert-ain color, and operating directly in succession.

Other and specific objects will appear from the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

A number of circular letter machines of standard commercial construction are mounted in tandem, three as showing in the drawings, and designated 11, 12 and 13. n main shaft 14 of the machine 11 has mounted on it cams 15 and 16 by set screws not shown. A miter gear 17 is also secured to the shaft 14. A plurality of miter gears 18, one of which meshes with the gear 17, are secured to a countershaft 19 by set screws 20. The countershaft 19 is arranged normal to the main operating shaft 14 of the machine 11, as well as t0 the main operating shaft 14 of the other circular letter machines and an addressing machine, also arranged in tandem. Direct driving connections are provided between .the countershaft 19 and the main operating shafts of the circular letter machines and the addressing machine, thus providing vmeans whereby a prime mover connected with any 4one of the machines or with the countershaft itself will drive all of the circular letter machines and the addressing machine in synchronism. Thus, two miter gears 13 secured to the countershaft 19 mesh respectively with the miter ears 21, one secured to a main operating s aft 22 of the machine 12, and the other secured to the main operating shaft of the machine 13. A crank 24 is secured to ka hub extension 25 of the gear 17, thus permitting the hand operation of the mechanism.

Type drums 26, 27 and 28 are provided for Serial No. 316,856.

the machines 11, 12 and 13, respectively. Inh fonts 29, 30 and 31 are provided for the machines 11, 12 and 13, respectively. The usual fabric, used for the purpose of simulating typewriting, may or may not be placed over the type, as desired. As illustrated in the drawings, F ig. 2, such a fabric is provided for machines 11 and 12 but not for machine 13.

A paper feed magazine 32 is provided in front of the machine 11 and paper may be fed directly to the machine 11, thence it will pass to machine 12, thence to machine 13 and thence to the addressing machine. The arrangement is such, of course, that ink of differentcolorsl may be provided for the three different machines and any of the machines may be provided with a fabric covering the type. Thus, it will he seen that a letter may be printed, for instance as shown in the drawings, with two colors of type in simultation of typewriting and with one plate or ordinary type.

rThe addressing machine is provided with an envelope magazine 33 and with a plate magazine 34 for the reception of addressing plates. n

Switch buttons 36 and 37 are mounted in a base plate 38, to which the machines l1, 12 and 13 are secured, and provide means for starting and stopping a motor which may be utilized for operating the device in a manner which will be later described in detail.

A two cylinder vacuum pump 39 is also mounted on the base plate 38 and is driven by eccentric cams 40 secured to the rear end of the shaft 33 and adjacent the machine 13. Suction fingers 41 for feeding the paper from the magazine 32 and suction fingers 42 for feeding envelopes from the magazine 34 are operated from the suction pump 39. One of the pistons 43 of the pump39 operates in a cylinder connected by a conduit 44 to the fingers 41.

The base plate 38 supports a number of brackets 45, each having at its upper end a Y the type,

.-1 chines 11, 12 and 13,

"signature device assembly 103, adjacent the bearing in which the countershaft 19 is ournalled.

Each of the machines includes an underrunning platen 16 cooperating with its type drum, as indicated in Fig. 1 in connection with machine y12.

Commercial circular letter machines which are on the market include a drum carrying an'ink font and transfer rolls, an under-running platen, feed rolls driven by a connection with the operating shaft and dis charge rolls beyond the drum, also driven by connection with the operating shaft. Each of the machines 11, 12 and 13 includes, therefore, power feed rolls 58. In the e111- bodiment illustrated in the drawings automatic meanshave been provided for supplying the rolls 58 of the machine 11 with paper. This means includes the paper magazine 32, the suction fingers 12 and apparatus operable in conjunction with cams 15 and 16. Since, however, the specific automatic feeding means illustrated in the drawings constitute no part of this invention they need not be described in detail. It will be obvious that the machine may be fed by hand as well as by automatic means.

Commercial. letter machines are also adapted to use signature devices, these devices constituting an assembly which is inserted in place of the usual discharge roll assembly. Such a signature device, indicated on the drawings as 103, is attached to the rear letter machine 13. The discharge roll mechanism ris indicated as 10a and includes rolls 107 and 108. The arrangement is such that paper discharged from the machine 11 through the rolls of thedevice 101 attached yto the machine 11 is discharged along horizontal supporting members 109, and the paper is grasped between the set of feed rolls 58 in the succeeding machine before it has completely passed between the rolls 107 and 108.y Thus the paper passing through machine 11 will be grasped by the set of feed rolls 58 of the machine 12 before it has completely passed the power driven discharge yroll mechanism 104 of the machine 11.

The paper, after it has passed the mais discharged by the machine 13, against the ends 110 of guide wires 111, which Y,have fingers 112. The paper is thus discharged upon a table of which an extension leaf 113 forms a part.

Y A spur gear 178, in mesh with a spur gear 18, is keyed to a main operating shaft 180 of an addressing machine. The particular addressing machine` is no part of this invention and need not be illustrated or described in detail. Suffice it to .say that the rotation of the shaft 180 actuates mechanism which moves envelopes from the magazine 33 to a table just to the rear of the magazine, also moves the name plates of the magazine 34 and causes the imprinting of theenvelopes'. The envelopes are then passed to a rack 156 from which they may be removed at leisure. The operating shaft 180 also actuates mechanism which carries the same name plate used in addressing the envelope to a position over the table of which the extension leaf 113 forms a part. The shaft 180 also operates Y press mechanism which imprints the name plate rupon the paper after which the name plate is discharged into a plate rack 215. The operating shaft 180 also serves, at the proper time, to drop the leaf 113 thereby dis-r charging the completely printed paper to a receptacle not Shown.

The pump 39 includes a! cylinder 148, in which a piston 149 reciprocates by reason of the rotation of a cam 40 on the shaft 23. The cylinder 1478 is in communication with a pipe 147 which serves, in connection with other mechanism operable by rotation of the sha-ft 180, to move envelopes from the magazine to printing position just to the rear of such magazine. f Y

A gear 275 is keyed 'to the shaft 23 and meshes with a pinion 276 keyed to a. shaft 273, which carries a cone pulley 4278. A cone ulley 279 is connected with the pulley 278 by a belt 280 and is keyed to a motor shaft 281 of a motor 282, controlled by the buttons 36 and 37.

It will be seen, therefore, that means have been provided whereby a plurality of commercial letter machines, each including a typ drum with under-running platen, may connected in tandem and with an addressing machine whereby sheets may be printed in several colors. The sheets may be fed automatically to the first machine, whence they are transferred directly to the succeedingmm chines, with the feeding mechanism of such succeeding machine grasping the paper before the discharge mechanism of the preceding machine has released it, thereby assuring perfect registry. i

We claim: Y

1. Ainulticolor printing device comprising a base, a plurality of circular letter machines mounted in tandem on said base,veach of said machines being of similar construction and including a rotary drum mounted on a main operating shaft and carrying'type,l

an underrunning platen, feed rollers and inking rollers, a motor adapted to drive the main operating shaft of one of the machines, miter gear on one end of each of said operat ing shafts, a counter shaft normal to said op eratin g shafts, and miter gears secured tosaid counter shaft and meshing respectively with said gears on the operating shaft-S.y

2. A multicolor printing device comprising a base, a plurality of circular rletter machines mounted in tandem on said base, each ofrsaid machines being of similar construction and i including a rotary drum mounted on a main operating shaft and carrying type, an underrunning platen, feed rollers and inlring rollers, a motor adapted to drive the main operating shaft of one of the machines, a miter gear on one end of each of said shafts, a plurality of brackets resting upon said base, a counter shaft journalled on said brackets and positioned normal to said operating shafts, and miter gears mounted on said counter sha-ft and meshing respectively With said gears on the operating shafts.r

3. A multicolor printing device comprising a base, a plurality of circular letter machines mounted in tandem on said base, each of said machines being of similar construction and including a rotary drum mounted on a main operating shaft and carrying type, an underrunning platen, feed rollers and inking rollers, a miter gear on one end of each of said shafts, a counter shaft normal to said operating shafts, miter gears mounted on said counter shaft and meshing respectively With said gears on the operating shafts, and a motor for operating said counter shaft.

4. A multicolor printing device comprising a base, a plurality of circular letter machines mounted in tandem on said base, each of said machines being of similar construction and including a rotary drum mounted on a main operating shaft and carrying type, an underrunning platen, feed rollers, discharge rollers and inlring rollers, said discharge rollers being in close proximity to the feed rollers of the succeeding machine and adapted to deliver a sheet directly thereto, a miter gear on one end of each of said shafts, a counter shaft normal to said operating'shafts, and miter gears mounted on said counter shaft and meshing respectively With said gears on the operating shafts.

5. A multicolor printing device comprising a base, a plurality of circular letter machines and an addressing machine mounted in tandem on said base, each of said letter machines being of similar construction and including a rotary drum mounted on a main operating shaft and carrying type, an underrunning platen, feed rollers and inling rollers, said addressing machine having a main operating shaft, a miter gear on one end of each of said operating shafts, a counter shaft normal to said operating shafts, miter gears mounted on said counter shaft and meshing respectively With said gears on the operating shaft, and a motor for driving said counter shaft.

6. A multicolor printing device comprising a base, a plurality of circular letter machines mounted in tandem on said base, each of said machines including a driving shaft, a rotary drum carrying type, an under-running platen, feed rollers, discharge rollers and inking rollers, the discharge rollers being in close proximity to the feed rollers of the succeed- 

